Japanese symbol for “courtesy”
儀礼
ぎれい
Romaji: girei
courtesy; etiquette; formality; protocol
In Japanese, courtesy is 儀礼, read ぎれい (girei).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n courtesy; etiquette; formality; protocol
- n (religious) observance; ritual; rite
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “courtesy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 義理 | ぎり giri | duty; sense of duty; honor |
| 礼儀 | れいぎ reigi | manners; courtesy; etiquette |
| 表敬 | ひょうけい hyoukei | courtesy; show of respect |
| エチケット | エチケット echiketto | politeness; good manners; courtesy |
| 厚意 | こうい koui | kindness (shown by others); courtesy; favor |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 儀式 | ぎしき gishiki | ceremony; rite; ritual |
| 礼儀 | れいぎ reigi | manners; courtesy; etiquette |
| 葬儀 | そうぎ sougi | funeral; funeral service |
| 行儀 | ぎょうぎ gyougi | manners; behavior; behaviour |
| 余儀なく | よぎなく yoginaku | unavoidably; necessarily; inevitably |
| 失礼 | しつれい shitsurei | discourtesy; impoliteness |
| お礼 | おれい orei | thanks; gratitude |
| 礼拝 | れいはい reihai | worship (esp. Christian); (church) service |
See also: Chinese symbol for “courtesy”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.